You slather, spray, and paint them
on and rub them in. Cosmetics are so much a part of your daily
regimen that you probably never think twice about them. If
they're on store shelves, it seems reasonable to figure that
they're safe to use, despite those unpronounceable ingredient
lists.

But at least some of what's in your cosmetics might not be so
good for you. One example is the family of chemicals known as
phthalates (pronounced THAL-ates), which may be linked to
developmental and reproductive health risks. The industry says
phthalates are safe, but some companies have dropped them in
response to public concern. Essie, OPI, and Sally Hansen, for
example, are removing dibutyl phthalate (DBP), which is used to
prevent chipping, from nail polishes. Other big-name brands that
have reformulated products to remove some phthalates include
Avon, Cover Girl, Estée Lauder, L'Oréal, Max Factor, Orly, and
Revlon.

If you're trying to cut back on phthalates, however, sticking
with these brands may not make much of a difference. You'll find
phthalates in too many other personal-care products, including
body lotions, hair sprays, perfumes, and deodorants. The
chemicals are used to help fragrances linger and take the
stiffness out of hair spray, among other reasons. They're also
in detergents, food packaging, pharmaceuticals, and plastic
toys. And they have turned up in our bodies.

Although phthalates show up in so many places, they're often
absent from labels because disclosure is not always required.
That's the case with fragrances. We
tested eight fragrances and although none of the products
included phthalates in its ingredient list, they all contained
the chemicals. Some were made by companies that specifically
told us their products were free of phthalates, and two even say
as much on their Web sites.

Getting your nails done or spritzing on your favorite perfume
obviously isn't going to kill you. But the health effects of
regular long-term exposure, even to small amounts, are still
unknown.

Makeup wakeup call

Companies that have eliminated phthalates are no doubt getting
the message that people are paying more attention to
ingredients. But public concern isn't the only factor driving
the reformulations. Another reason is a European ban. Although
the U.S. has outlawed just eight cosmetic ingredients, the
European Union has banned more than 1,000. For companies that
make cosmetics, complying with E.U. rules makes good business
sense. It's more efficient to sell the same product worldwide.
It's also good PR. About 380 U.S. companies have publicly
pledged their allegiance to cosmetic safety by signing the
Compact for Global Production of Safe Health & Beauty Products,
under which they voluntarily pledged to reformulate globally to
meet E.U. standards.

The reformulation trend is likely to gain further momentum from
the California Safe Cosmetics Act of 2005, which took effect
only this year. Manufacturers that sell over $1 million a year
in personal-care products in the state must report any products
containing a chemical that is either a carcinogen or a
reproductive or developmental toxic agent. Among those that must
be disclosed are the phthalates DBP and di(2-ethylhexyl)
phthalate (DEHP). California plans make this information public,
possibly on the Web, so some companies may choose to remove
rather than report the ingredients.

Guinea pig nation

Despite the laws, pacts, and reformulations, questions about
safety remain. Cosmetic industry critics argue that the Food and
Drug Administration has not told companies what "safe" means,
leaving them to make their own decisions. In fact, with
cosmetics, the government generally takes action only after
safety issues crop up.

Take the case of Rio hair relaxers. In December 1994, the FDA
warned against two products sold through infomercials after
consumers complained about hair loss, scalp irritation, and hair
turning green. Rio announced that it would stop sales but there
were reports that it continued to take orders. The California
Department of Health then stepped in to halt sales and in
January 1995, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles filed a
seizure action. By then, the FDA had received more than 3,000
complaints. Rio later reformulated and renamed its products.

The Rio case illustrates how holes in the government's cosmetic
regulatory system can hurt consumers. The industry essentially
regulates itself. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel, made up
of physicians and toxicologists and funded by the industry's
leading trade group--the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance
Association (CTFA)--assesses ingredient safety. Another industry
group reviews fragrances and helps create safety standards. But
manufacturers aren't obligated to do anything with this
information.

"We're working on the honor system when it comes to cosmetics
safety," says Jane Houlihan, vice president for research at the
Environmental Working Group (EWG), a research and advocacy
group. "In the absence of federal standards, we have a huge
range of safety in the products we buy every day."

The FDA has made efforts to improve its ability to spot problems
and issue warnings. The agency now has a computerized database,
called CAERS, that collects reports of problems such as allergic
reactions. Complaints can be sent via the FDA Web site or by
calling a district office. But Amy Newburger, a dermatologist at
St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City and a
former member of the FDA's General and Plastic Surgery Devices
Panel, says her experiences make her wonder about the system's
effectiveness. In one case, she filed a report by phone and on
the CAERS system after she and several of her patients got a
rash with blisters after using an anti-aging treatment. It
wasn't until a year later, in November 2006, that the FDA sent
an e-mail asking her to complete some forms, she says. The FDA
responds that it doesn't provide information or feedback to
people who file complaints. It simply routes them to the
appropriate office for evaluation. The FDA says it may also send
reports to companies.

So what are the risks?

Scientists know very little about how repeated exposure to small
amounts of phthalates in cosmetics may affect your health, if at
all. But some studies suggest that the chemicals are present in
our bodies.

In 2005, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
reported that it had found breakdown chemicals from two of the
most common cosmetic phthalates in almost every member of a
group of 2,782 people it examined. A separate study published in
the journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) in 2005
showed that men who used the most personal-care products, such
as after-shave and cologne, had the highest urinary levels of a
breakdown product of diethyl phthalate (DEP).

In rodent studies, phthalates have caused testicular injury,
liver injury, and liver cancer. We found no such clear hazards
in human research. But we did find studies suggesting that
phthalates may be associated with other health issues, including
the following four examples from one source alone, EHP, which is
a leading journal published by the National Institutes of
Health. In 2000, EHP published a small study that said elevated
blood levels of phthalates were associated with premature breast
development in young girls. Another report in 2003 found that
men with higher concentrations of two phthalate breakdown
products in their urine were more likely to have a low sperm
count or low sperm motility. A study published in 2005 said
women with higher levels of four phthalate compounds in their
urine during pregnancy were likelier to give birth to boys with
smaller scrotums. And a 2006 report cited low testosterone
levels in male newborns exposed to higher levels of phthalates
in breast milk.

Experts in the industry and the government are aware of such
reports but say there is no cause for alarm. The FDA, for
instance, concluded after a thorough review of the literature
that "it's not clear what effect, if any, phthalates have on
health." And the CTFA, the industry trade group, notes that
government and scientific bodies in the U.S. and Canada have
examined phthalates without restricting their use in cosmetics.
After the 2005 report linking phthalate exposure to smaller
scrotum size, in particular, the trade group said, "The
sensational and alarming conclusions being drawn from this
single study are completely speculative and scientifically
unwarranted."

Even companies that have dropped phthalates from products say
they are safe. "This policy is driven by a wish to allay public
concern and does not reflect concern with the safe use of the
ingredients," Avon said after announcing that it would cut DBP
from its product line. John Bailey, the CTFA's executive vice
president for science, says ingredients like DBP in nail polish
are simply not a hazard in such small amounts.

On the other side are some environmental and public-health
advocates who say possible carcinogens and reproductive toxins
do not belong in cosmetics, no matter how small the amount. "We
take issue with the idea that a little bit of poison doesn't
matter, because safer alternatives are available," says Stacy
Malkan, communications director of Health Care Without Harm.
"Companies should be making the safest products possible,
instead of trying to convince us that a little bit of toxic
chemicals are OK." While the scientific jury is still out, we at
ShopSmart believe it makes sense to reduce your exposure to
phthalates, especially if you're nursing, pregnant, or trying to
become pregnant.

QUICK READ

Phthalates, a family of chemicals used in cosmetics, may
pose significant health risks but:

• They're found in perfumes, nail polishes, and
other products we use every day.
• Scientists say they're found in our bodies as
well.
• In many cases, they're not listed on labels, so
they can be difficult to avoid.
• Some manufacturers are removing them from their
products, but the FDA has not restricted their use.